Absentee Ballot Woes

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brewmeist

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I'm hoping this does not turn into a political debate. I'm just curious what other people are experiencing.

My son and his roommate are currently at flight school in TX. Both are PA residents (different counties). Both went through the proper channels for requesting absentee ballots.

Their ballots were mailed to them on Oct 1, and those ballots took about two weeks to be delivered (my son's was delivered Oct 17). They each filled out their ballot and mailed them back the very next day.

Now it is Election Day, and the PA online system indicates that neither one of their ballots was delivered back to their respective counties.

I am hoping that this will be updated today, but they deserve to have their votes counted.
 
brewmeist said:
I'm hoping this does not turn into a political debate. I'm just curious what other people are experiencing.

My son and his roommate are currently at flight school in TX. Both are PA residents (different counties). Both went through the proper channels for requesting absentee ballots.

Their ballots were mailed to them on Oct 1, and those ballots took about two weeks to be delivered (my son's was delivered Oct 17). They each filled out their ballot and mailed them back the very next day.

Now it is Election Day, and the PA online system indicates that neither one of their ballots was delivered back to their respective counties.

I am hoping that this will be updated today, but they deserve to have their votes counted.
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Your post made me curios about the status of my mail in ballot. I was just now able to track it online. “Ballottrax”*, for our county, indicated my ballot was received on 10/26. I mailed it on 10/1. This close to the election I wonder if PA has experienced a backlog. When I was on active duty I voted absentee five times. Each command encouraged Sailors to obtain an absentee ballot and vote. This is another experience in your son’s military journey. Hope all is well with him in flight school.

*PA does not use ballottrax.

Where's My Ballot?

A tool to see if Ballottrax is available in your US county.
wheresmyballot.com wheresmyballot.com
 
brewmeist said:
I'm hoping this does not turn into a political debate. I'm just curious what other people are experiencing.

My son and his roommate are currently at flight school in TX. Both are PA residents (different counties). Both went through the proper channels for requesting absentee ballots.

Their ballots were mailed to them on Oct 1, and those ballots took about two weeks to be delivered (my son's was delivered Oct 17). They each filled out their ballot and mailed them back the very next day.

Now it is Election Day, and the PA online system indicates that neither one of their ballots was delivered back to their respective counties.

I am hoping that this will be updated today, but they deserve to have their votes counted.
Click to expand...
I hope the best! Son is in PA for ROTC and the PMS cancelled classes today. Told them all to use the time to vote.

We live in VA and he mailed his two weeks ago. Since nothing in the VA system about receiving his ballot as of yet.
 
I got mine in the mail end of September and sent it early October. It was received at the election office a week later.

I called them to make sure it was accepted. It didn’t show up as received in the online tracking system until a couple days after I had called them
 
We applied for our mail-in ballots online, completed them and dropped them in a ballot “tank” at the library. We could have mailed. I noted my ballot number. I received texts saying the ballot was received, then one confirming it was counted. When I applied online, I had requested text notifications. Anne Arundel County, MD.
 
Capt MJ said:
We applied for our mail-in ballots online, completed them and dropped them in a ballot “tank” at the library. We could have mailed. I noted my ballot number. I received texts saying the ballot was received, then one confirming it was counted. When I applied online, I had requested text notifications. Anne Arundel County, MD.
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Normally we would vote in person, but DH had an outpatient medical procedure yesterday, and I knew we couldn’t go anywhere today.
 
NY is awesome. The Board of Elections was open for two weeks so you could vote in person early.

I avoided the first weekend crowd and went last Monday to avoid lines. It was a longer wait than I ever had on Election Day. 10% of the total county population (not eligible voters) had voted in the first three days.

They had an email option for military to get their ballot by email.
 
DS is a Citadel knob. We are from PA. His process was super smooth. Filled out the online form to request a mail ballot. Got it down at school in early October and mailed it back. It showed up as received by the county election office in the state's online ballot tracking system a few days later. Seemed to work really well.

Sorry you are having issues. Hopefully, those ballots are indeed at the local election office but just haven't been "scanned in" to the tracking system.
 
justdoit19 said:
Timely post I read last night. I love hearing the support of our military to vote 🗳️!!

www.militarytimes.com

Many military ballots won’t be counted until after Election Day

Election officials are asking for patience from voters awaiting the results of this year's presidential and congressional elections.
www.militarytimes.com www.militarytimes.com
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I'm no election expert but the original or at least one of the original reasons for absentee voting is so military personnel can vote.

brewmeist said:
I'm hoping this does not turn into a political debate. I'm just curious what other people are experiencing.

My son and his roommate are currently at flight school in TX. Both are PA residents (different counties). Both went through the proper channels for requesting absentee ballots.

Their ballots were mailed to them on Oct 1, and those ballots took about two weeks to be delivered (my son's was delivered Oct 17). They each filled out their ballot and mailed them back the very next day.

Now it is Election Day, and the PA online system indicates that neither one of their ballots was delivered back to their respective counties.

I am hoping that this will be updated today, but they deserve to have their votes counted.
Click to expand...
Some states seem to be handling this modern era election system better than others. PA is one of the states which will determine this cycle's winner. Hoping your son and roommate are doing well and their votes get counted.
 
My wife and I voted early in person for the first time this year. I have mixed feelings because I always enjoyed casting my vote on election day. But it was very nice to be in and out in 10 minutes! My county treats early in-person voting the same as absentee/mail-in. For us, the on-line system indicated the next day that our ballot was received.

My personal feeling is that the existing system cannot handle the incredible increase in mail-in ballots. PA is one of a handful of States that can't even start canvassing ballots until 7:00 AM on Election Day. Those workers are definitely earning their paychecks today.
 
A1Janitor said:
NY is awesome. The Board of Elections was open for two weeks so you could vote in person early.

I avoided the first weekend crowd and went last Monday to avoid lines. It was a longer wait than I ever had on Election Day. 10% of the total county population (not eligible voters) had voted in the first three days.

They had an email option for military to get their ballot by email.
Click to expand...
I've been complaining about mail-in ballots and early voting but finally surrendered and my wife and I went in Friday and voted. The line was long but it went quickly.
 
Devil Doc said:
I've been complaining about mail-in ballots and early voting but finally surrendered and my wife and I went in Friday and voted. The line was long but it went quickly.
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I waited 20 minutes in line. I would have waited longer. The woman right behind me brought her good boy black lab. I pet him the whole time.
 
We live in VA outside of DC. I voted I think two days after the early voted opened up. The crowds were super small.

Today's election was the first time all three of my kids could vote and did. What an awesome feeling.

As I told them I don't care who you vote for, just exercise your right to vote.
 
Devil Doc said:
I've been complaining about mail-in ballots and early voting but finally surrendered and my wife and I went in Friday and voted. The line was long but it went quickly.
Click to expand...
I did mail-in for the 96 and 2000 election while on AD. Early voting is the way to go. Its like being at the poll center, but without 300 of your closest friends.

I use to take the kids (when they were younger). I would tell them my selection and they would push the buttons.
 
I'm an in-person/Election-Day voter and will hit the train station (local polling spot) on my way home from work.

Voted absentee for many years when I was deployed or otherwise unable to be there and cherish the ability to vote on Election Day.

When I lived in New Hampshire and ran for a low level town office, I was brought in as an official vote counter and from then on helped hand count the town's votes until we moved away some year later. The leaders paired people of opposite politics to work with one counting and the other checking the counter and periodically, we'd switch the counter and the checker duties. We were one of the media's "Key Precincts" so there were often major reporters and TV cameras waiting for our results.
 
Ihavenoidea said:
I also voted early a few weeks ago in VA. VA's early voting starts like 45 days before the election which is excessive in my opinion, but I like early voting. Early voting also let DS vote really quick one Friday rather than absentee
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Agreed. It allowed my DD to come home for a weekend. Get a hot meal and vote. Of course she brought all her laundry with her. ;-)
 
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